Place des Lices, Saint-Tropez de Paul Signac

This major work by Paul Signac, entitled “Place des Lices, Saint-Tropez”, fits perfectly into the neo-impressionist movement. The artist deploys his revolutionary technique of division of tones, capturing a peaceful daily scene under a vibrant light. Without using a date, this painting beautifully illustrates the transition towards a scientific study of color and light, a major characteristic of the divisionist research of the time.

In the center-right of the painting, a man wearing a hat and a dark jacket sits with his back to us on a solitary green bench. He contemplates a landscape dominated by majestic plane trees with twisted and massive trunks, painted in intense blue and violet shades. The sandy ground of this park is dotted with brilliant golden-yellow light spots and violet shadows that mimic the thick foliage filtering the warm summer sun. In the background, an ochre low wall bounds the scenic space, while a slender cypress rises gracefully towards a clear sky next to some distant Provençal houses with light-tiled roofs.

The painter demonstrates here an exceptional mastery of oil painting by applying small juxtaposed touches. This rigorous method gives a unique optical vibration to the whole, giving the scene a timeless atmosphere and an extraordinary luminosity that transcends the simple realistic observation of nature.